Path selection method, terminal and network-side equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a path selection method, a terminal, and a network-side device, wherein the terminal-side method comprises: transmitting a path selection request to a network-side device; receiving a response message transmitted from the network-side device; and, if the response message includes relay path instruction information, performing a first transmission using a target relay node; wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a path selection method, a terminal, and network-side equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In relay technology, one or more relay nodes are installed between network-side equipment and the terminal, and the terminal can select one or more of these relay nodes or directly select a path for communication transmission. Currently, since terminals generally select a path based on link quality, a relay node with good link quality may be selected by the terminal for transmission. However, as terminal service types expand, if only link quality is considered, the selected path may not meet service requirements. From this, it can be seen that existing path selection methods have a problem in that they fail to satisfy service requirements.

[0003] An embodiment of the present invention provides a path selection method, a terminal, and network-side equipment to solve the problem that existing path selection methods fail to meet service requirements.

[0004] To solve the technical problems described above, the implementation method of the present invention is as follows.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a path selection method applied to a terminal, wherein the method comprises:

[0006] A step of transmitting a path selection request to network-side equipment - the path selection request includes identification information of candidate relay nodes;

[0007] A step of receiving a response message transmitted from the above-mentioned network-side equipment;

[0008] If the above response message includes relay path instruction information, the step of performing a first transmission using a target relay node; wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node or configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a path selection method applied to network-side equipment, wherein the method is,

[0010] A step of receiving a path selection request transmitted from a terminal - the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node;

[0011] The step of transmitting a response message to the terminal; wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of a first transmission performed by the terminal; or, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0012] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal,

[0013] A transmission module configured to transmit a path selection request to network-side equipment - said path selection request includes identification information of candidate relay nodes;

[0014] A receiving module configured to receive a response message transmitted from the above-mentioned network-side equipment;

[0015] A first path selection module configured to perform a first transmission using a target relay node when the response message includes relay path instruction information; wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node or configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides network-side equipment,

[0017] A receiving module configured to receive a path selection request transmitted from a terminal - said path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node;

[0018] A transmission module configured to transmit a response message to the terminal; wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of a first transmission performed by the terminal; or, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0019] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program that is stored in the memory and can be executed on the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, a step of the path selection method provided in a first aspect of the embodiment of the present invention is implemented.

[0020] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides network-side equipment comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, a step of the path selection method provided in a second aspect of the embodiment of the present invention is implemented.

[0021] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, a step of the path selection method provided in a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is implemented.

[0022] In the eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, a step of the path selection method provided in the second aspect of the embodiment of the present invention is implemented.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, after discovering a candidate relay node, the terminal may transmit a path selection request to the network-side equipment, and after receiving the path selection request, the network-side equipment may feed back a response message to the terminal to assist the terminal in path selection. In this way, the path selected by the terminal with the assistance of the network-side equipment can better satisfy transmission requirements, i.e., service requirements, thereby improving the suitability of path selection. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0024] In order to more clearly explain the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments of the present invention are briefly introduced below. The drawings described herein are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and it is clear that a person skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort, based on the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the relay node discovery process. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another relay node discovery process. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a path selection method applied to a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a path selection method applied to a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a path selection method applied to network-side equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of network-side equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a hardware configuration diagram of a network-side device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0025] [Cross-reference to related applications]

[0026] This application claims priority to the patent with Chinese patent application number No. 201911360714.2 filed in China on December 25, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated into this claim by reference.

[0027] Hereinafter, technical solutions in embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Of course, the embodiments described below are merely partial embodiments and not all embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without creative effort based on the embodiments of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the specification and claims of this application, the term “comprising” and any variation thereof is intended for non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to the specified steps or units, but may include other steps or devices that are not specified or are unique to such process, method, system, product, or device. Additionally, “and / or” is used in the specification and claims to indicate at least one of the connected objects; for example, A and / or B indicates three cases: A alone comprising, B alone comprising, or both A and B comprising.

[0029] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present invention, words such as “exemplary” or “for example” are used as examples, illustrative, or descriptive. Any embodiment or design solution described as “exemplary” or “for example” in the embodiments of the present invention should not be interpreted as being more desirable or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. To be precise, words such as “exemplary” or “for example” are used to express related concepts in a specific way.

[0030] Before describing the technical solution for implementing the present invention, we will first briefly explain relay technology.

[0031] In a wireless communication system, relay technology involves adding one or more relay nodes to transmit wireless signals between network-side equipment and terminals. These relay nodes are used for relaying wireless signals, and accordingly, the wireless signal must pass through multiple hops to reach the terminal.

[0032] Taking a relatively simple two-hop relay as an example, the wireless relay divides the link from the network-side equipment to the terminal into a link from the network-side equipment to the relay station and a link from the relay station to the terminal, thereby replacing one link of poor quality with two links of good quality, which enables higher link capacity and better coverage.

[0033] From this, it can be seen that relay technology can be used to expand cell coverage and compensate for blind spots, as well as to increase cell capacity through the reuse of spatial resources. Regarding indoor coverage, relay technology can play a role in overcoming transmission loss and improving the quality of indoor coverage.

[0034] Currently, the relay supported in LTE or NR is the UE-to-network relay. That is, one end of the relay node is connected to the terminal, and the other end is connected to the network-side equipment. For better understanding, the relay node can be referred to as the relay UE, and the terminal connected to the relay UE as the remote UE.

[0035] In a UE-to-network relay, a remote UE can find or discover available relay UEs in two ways before establishing a relay connection.

[0036] Method 1: As illustrated in FIG. 1, for a specific ProSe service, if a relay UE wants a neighboring terminal to establish a UE-to-Network relay connection on its own, the relay UE can broadcast a discovery (announcement) message to claim that it is a relay UE capable of performing a UE-to-Network relay for this service. Relay UE1, relay UE2, and relay UE3 in FIG. 1 are all available relay UEs. The discovery process of the relay UE illustrated in FIG. 1 may also be called the Mode A discovery process.

[0037] Method 2: As illustrated in FIG. 2, for a specific ProSe service, if a remote UE wishes to establish a UE-to-network relay connection through a nearby relay UE, the remote UE broadcasts a discovery (solicitation) message to discover the nearby relay UE. If the nearby relay UE has the authority to establish a UE-to-network relay connection for the remote UE and agrees, it sends a response message to the remote UE. Relay UE2 and relay UE3 in FIG. 2 are both available relay UEs. The relay UE discovery process illustrated in FIG. 2 may also be referred to as the Mode B discovery process.

[0038] For the sake of understanding, in embodiments of the present invention, the available relay UE may be collectively referred to as a candidate relay node.

[0039] Since there may be multiple available relay UEs, or candidate relay nodes, a problem of UE-to-network relay selection exists for the remote UE. In other words, the remote UE needs to make a selection regarding the transmission path.

[0040] Currently, since remote UEs generally select relay UEs based on link quality, such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), relay UEs with good link quality can be selected from remote UEs for transmission. However, as terminal service types expand, if only link quality is considered, the selected path may not meet service requirements. For example, in LTE, the aforementioned relay technology is generally applied to public safety services, while in NR ProSe, commercial services are considered for ProSe communication. If a terminal needs to perform transmission for commercial services using relay technology, it must consider whether the configuration parameters of the selected relay UE can meet the requirements of transmission parameters, such as Quality of Service (QoS), Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI), Session and Service Continuity Mode (SSC Mode), and Data Network Name (DNN). Therefore, the relay UE selection method currently applied in LTE may no longer be suitable for commercial services in NR ProSe communication.

[0041] However, since the configuration parameters of a relay UE may be private data and a remote UE may not be able to obtain these parameters, the remote UE may require assistance from network-side equipment to select an appropriate relay UE.

[0042] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention aim to solve the above-mentioned problem by providing a path selection method, a terminal, and network-side equipment.

[0043] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Embodiments according to the present invention may be applied to a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system may be a 5G system, an Evolved Long Term Evolution (eLTE) system, or a subsequent evolutionary communication system.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a network system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the network system includes a terminal (11) and network-side equipment (12). The terminal (11) may be mobile communication equipment such as a mobile phone, a tablet PC (Tablet Personal Computer), a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a Mobile Internet Device (MID), or a wearable device, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a specific type of terminal (11). The network-side equipment (12) may be 5G network-side equipment (e.g., gNB, 5G NR NB), 4G network-side equipment (e.g., eNB), 3G network-side equipment (e.g., NB), or network-side equipment of a subsequent evolutionary communication system, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a specific type of network-side equipment (12).

[0045] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a path selection method applied to a network system illustrated in FIG. 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the method includes the following steps.

[0046] Step 201: The terminal sends a path selection request to the network-side equipment.

[0047] The above path selection request includes identification information of candidate relay nodes.

[0048] The above terminal is the aforementioned remote UE, the above candidate relay node is the aforementioned relay UE, and the identification information of the above candidate relay node can be understood as the identification information of the relay UE, such as the user ID of the relay UE (e.g., relay UE1, relay UE2).

[0049] The terminal can discover the candidate relay node through the method illustrated in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. That is, the terminal can discover the candidate relay node through the Mode A discovery process or the Mode B discovery process.

[0050] The time at which the terminal transmits a route selection request to the network-side equipment may be before the terminal performs the first transmission. That is, the terminal transmits a route selection request to the network-side equipment when it needs to perform the first transmission. Here, the first transmission can be understood as any transmission capable of using relay technology (e.g., the aforementioned commercial service or public safety service).

[0051] Step 202: The network-side equipment receives a path selection request transmitted from the terminal.

[0052] Step 203: The network-side equipment sends a response message to the terminal.

[0053] The above response message includes relay path instruction information, wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of a first transmission performed by the terminal; or, the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0054] After receiving a path selection request transmitted from a terminal, the network-side equipment can obtain identification information of each candidate relay node according to the path selection request, and further obtain configuration information of each candidate relay node.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present invention, network-side equipment may provide feedback on the configuration information of candidate relay nodes obtained through a response message at the end of the month, and in this way, after obtaining the configuration information of candidate relay nodes, the terminal may select candidate relay nodes to select a relay node suitable for the first transmission. In an embodiment of the present invention, the path selection request may include transmission parameters for the first transmission performed by the terminal in addition to the identification information of the candidate relay nodes. If the path selection request includes transmission parameters for the first transmission, the selection of relay nodes may be performed by the terminal or network-side equipment. If the selection of relay nodes is performed by network-side equipment, the network-side equipment may select candidate relay nodes according to the obtained configuration information of candidate relay nodes, select a relay node suitable for the first transmission, and provide feedback to the terminal through a response message.

[0056] Regardless of which method described above is adopted, the response message transmitted from the network-side equipment includes relay path instruction information, and it can be understood that said relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node. Here, the target relay node can be understood as the relay node used by the terminal to ultimately perform the first transmission.

[0057] Step 204: The terminal receives a response message transmitted from the network-side equipment.

[0058] Step 205: If the above response message includes relay path instruction information, the terminal performs a first transmission using a target relay node.

[0059] Optionally, if the above response message does not include relay path instruction information, the terminal performs the first transmission using a direct path.

[0060] In the corresponding embodiment, if the configuration information of all candidate relay nodes does not satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission after the network-side equipment has selected all candidate relay nodes, the response message fed back by the network-side equipment will not include relay path instruction information, or furthermore, the response message fed back by the network-side equipment may include direct path instruction information.

[0061] In summary, in an embodiment of the present invention, the selection of relay nodes may be performed by a terminal or network-side equipment, and the selection principle is that the configuration information of the selected relay node satisfies the transmission parameters of the first transmission; otherwise, the terminal performs the first transmission through a direct path rather than a relay path.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present invention, after discovering a candidate relay node, the terminal may transmit a path selection request to the network-side equipment, and after receiving the path selection request, the network-side equipment may feed back a response message to the terminal to assist the terminal in path selection. In this way, the path selected by the terminal with the assistance of the network-side equipment can better satisfy transmission requirements, i.e., service requirements, thereby improving the suitability of path selection.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a path selection method applied to a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the path selection method applied to a terminal includes the following steps.

[0064] Step 301: Send a path selection request to the network-side equipment, wherein the path selection request includes identification information of candidate relay nodes.

[0065] The above path selection request can be transmitted to network-side equipment via Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages, such as registration requests and service requests.

[0066] Step 302: Receive a response message transmitted from the network-side equipment.

[0067] Step 303: If the above response message includes relay path instruction information, the first transmission is performed using the target relay node.

[0068] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node or configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present invention, the configuration information of the candidate relay node may include at least one of the following: QoS information supported by the candidate relay node, load information of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs, NSSAI of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs, SSC mode of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs, information on a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session established by the candidate relay node, and movement trajectory information of the candidate relay node. The transmission parameters of the first transmission may include at least one of the identifier of the first transmission, QoS required for the first transmission, NSSAI of the first transmission, SSC mode of the first transmission, and DNN of the first transmission.

[0070] Here, QoS information may include parameters such as data rate, PDB (packet delay budget), and packet error rate (PER). Information on PDU sessions established by a relay node may include information on relay PDU sessions established by a relay node, the quantity of PDU sessions, etc.

[0071] In an embodiment of the present invention, after discovering a candidate relay node, the terminal may transmit a path selection request to the network-side equipment, and after receiving the path selection request, the network-side equipment may feed back a response message to the terminal to assist the terminal in path selection. In this way, the path selected by the terminal with the assistance of the network-side equipment can better satisfy transmission requirements, i.e., service requirements, thereby improving the suitability of path selection.

[0072] Optionally, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0073] In the corresponding embodiment, the selection of relay nodes is performed by a terminal, and the terminal can obtain transmission parameters of the first transmission and thus further obtain configuration information of each candidate relay node, and the configuration information of each candidate relay node can be fed back to the terminal by network-side equipment. That is, the response message transmitted from the network-side equipment includes configuration information of the candidate relay nodes.

[0074] To aid in understanding this embodiment, the terminal selection process will be explained in detail below through specific examples.

[0075] Example 1: When a terminal needs to perform a first transmission, the terminal sends a path selection request to a network-side device, which includes identification information of a candidate relay node; the network-side device receives the path selection request sent from the terminal; the network-side device sends configuration information of a candidate relay node to the terminal in accordance with the path selection request; the terminal receives the configuration information of a candidate relay node sent from the network-side device; and the terminal selects a target relay node from a candidate relay node in accordance with the transmission parameters of the first transmission and the configuration information of the candidate relay node and performs the first transmission.

[0076] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0077] The configuration information of the above candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the above first transmission.

[0078] Considering that the configuration information of candidate relay nodes may vary and the transmission parameters may vary, and since the transmission parameters related to different transmission services may differ, the terminal may include the transmission parameters of the first transmission in the path selection request, and the network-side equipment may determine the configuration information of candidate relay nodes to be fed back to the terminal based on the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0079] By determining the configuration information of candidate relay nodes in the manner described above, the configuration information fed back by the network-side equipment is made more targetable, and the communication resources consumed by the terminal when selecting relay nodes can be reduced. Additionally, since the network-side equipment does not need to feed back redundant information, it is advantageous for saving communication resources consumed by the network-side equipment.

[0080] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0081] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0082] In the corresponding embodiment, the selection of relay nodes is performed by network-side equipment, and the network-side equipment can obtain transmission parameters of the first transmission, and thus, based on the configuration information of each candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission, select a relay node capable of satisfying the first transmission from the candidate relay nodes, and feed back the identification information of the relay node to the terminal through a response message.

[0083] To aid in understanding the present embodiment, the selection process of network-side equipment will be explained in detail below through specific examples.

[0084] Example 2: When a terminal needs to perform a first transmission, the terminal sends a path selection request to a network-side device, the path selection request including identification information of a candidate relay node and transmission parameters of the first transmission; the network-side device receives the path selection request sent from the terminal; the network-side device selects a relay node capable of satisfying the first transmission from the candidate relay nodes in accordance with the path selection request, and sends the identification information of the relay node to the terminal; the terminal receives the identification information of the relay node sent from the network-side device, selects a target relay node among them, and performs the first transmission.

[0085] Optionally, if the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information is,

[0086] Identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition at a relay node where configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or,

[0087] A list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission—the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay nodes, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list; is included.

[0088] Here, the above configuration information can be understood as the aforementioned configuration information and may include at least one of QoS information, load information, NSSAI, SSC mode, information on established PDU sessions and movement trajectory information.

[0089] In this embodiment, if there is one or more relay nodes among the candidate relay nodes that satisfy the first transmission, the network-side equipment may select a relay node that satisfies the preset condition among them and use it as a target relay node for the terminal to perform the first transmission. Here, the relay node that satisfies the preset condition may be the optimal relay node determined by the network-side equipment, or the optimal path determined by the network-side equipment. For example, it may be the relay node with the best QoS among the candidate relay nodes, or the relay node whose movement trajectory is closest to the terminal among the candidate relay nodes.

[0090] The network-side equipment may also provide a list of identification information, and said list sorts the relay nodes that satisfy the first transmission according to the configuration priority of the relay nodes. For example, the relay nodes that satisfy the first transmission are sorted in descending order according to the configuration priority of the relay nodes. The terminal can sequentially establish a relay connection with each relay node according to the descending priority order, and if it is not suitable, it can continue to select a relay node with a lower priority and attempt until a relay connection is successful. If none of the relay nodes in the identification information list are suitable, the terminal can directly select a path to perform the first transmission.

[0091] Optionally, the above method,

[0092] If the above response message does not include the above relay path instruction information, the step of performing the first transmission using a direct path is further included.

[0093] In this embodiment, after the network-side equipment selects all candidate relay nodes, if the configuration information of all candidate relay nodes does not satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission, the response message fed back by the network-side equipment does not include relay path instruction information, and in this case, the terminal can perform the first transmission using a direct path.

[0094] It should be noted that if the response message does not include relay path instruction information, the subsequent terminal may perform the first transmission using a direct path or perform the relay transmission by selecting a path in another way, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0095] Optionally, if the response message does not include the relay path instruction information, the step of performing the first transmission using a direct path is:

[0096] If the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information but includes direct path instruction information, the step of performing the first transmission using the direct path is included.

[0097] In this embodiment, after the network-side equipment selects all candidate relay nodes, if the configuration information of all candidate relay nodes does not satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission, the network-side equipment may feed back an empty response message. That is, the response message does not include relay path instruction information or direct path instruction information. Alternatively, furthermore, the response message fed back by the network-side equipment may not include relay path instruction information but may include direct path instruction information. In the above case, it means that all nodes among the candidate relay nodes cannot satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission, and at this time, the terminal performs the first transmission using a direct path.

[0098] In summary, in an embodiment of the present invention, the selection of relay nodes may be performed by a terminal or network-side equipment, and the selection principle is that the configuration information of the selected relay node satisfies the transmission parameters of the first transmission; otherwise, the terminal performs the first transmission through a direct path rather than a relay path.

[0099] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a path selection method applied to network-side equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the path selection method applied to network-side equipment includes the following steps.

[0100] Step 401: Receive a path selection request transmitted from a terminal, wherein the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node.

[0101] Step 402: Transmit a response message to the terminal, wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission performed by the terminal; or the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0102] Optionally, if the configuration information of all relay nodes of the candidate relay node does not satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0103] Optionally, if the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information, the above response message further includes direct path instruction information.

[0104] Optionally, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0105] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0106] The configuration information of the above candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the above first transmission.

[0107] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0108] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0109] Optionally, if the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information is,

[0110] Identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition at a relay node where configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or,

[0111] A list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission—the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay nodes, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list; is included.

[0112] Optionally, the configuration information of the above candidate relay node is,

[0113] Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the above candidate relay node;

[0114] Load information of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0115] Network slice selection auxiliary information (NSSAI) of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0116] Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0117] Information on the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session established by the above candidate relay node;

[0118] It includes at least one of the movement trajectory information of the above candidate relay node.

[0119] Optionally, the transmission parameters of the first transmission are,

[0120] Identifier of the first transmission above;

[0121] QoS required for the above first transmission;

[0122] NSSAI of the first transmission above;

[0123] SSC mode of the first transmission above;

[0124] It includes at least one of the data network name (DNN) of the first transmission above.

[0125] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are embodiments of network-side equipment corresponding to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and that specific methods of implementation can be described by referring to the description of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and that since the same beneficial effects can be obtained, detailed descriptions are omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0126] FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 7, the terminal (500) is,

[0127] A transmission module (501) configured to transmit a path selection request to network-side equipment - said path selection request includes identification information of candidate relay nodes;

[0128] A receiving module (502) configured to receive a response message transmitted from the above network-side equipment;

[0129] When the above response message includes relay path instruction information, the first path selection module (503) configured to perform a first transmission using a target relay node is included, wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node or configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0130] Optionally, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0131] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0132] The configuration information of the above candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the above first transmission.

[0133] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0134] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0135] Optionally, if the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information is,

[0136] Identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition at a relay node where configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or,

[0137] A list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission—the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay nodes, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list; is included.

[0138] Optionally, the terminal (500) is,

[0139] If the above response message does not include the above relay path instruction information, it further includes a second path selection module configured to perform a first transmission using a direct path.

[0140] Optionally, the second path selection module specifically,

[0141] If the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information but includes direct path instruction information, it is configured to perform the first transmission using the direct path.

[0142] Optionally, the configuration information of the above candidate relay node is,

[0143] Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the above candidate relay node;

[0144] Load information of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0145] Network slice selection auxiliary information (NSSAI) of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0146] Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0147] Information on the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session established by the above candidate relay node;

[0148] It includes at least one of the movement trajectory information of the above candidate relay node.

[0149] Optionally, the transmission parameters of the first transmission are,

[0150] Identifier of the first transmission above;

[0151] QoS required for the above first transmission;

[0152] NSSAI of the first transmission above;

[0153] SSC mode of the first transmission above;

[0154] It includes at least one of the data network name (DNN) of the first transmission above.

[0155] In the embodiment of the present invention, the terminal (500) may be a terminal of any method of the method embodiment, and any method of the terminal of the method embodiment can be implemented by the terminal (500) in the embodiment of the present invention and can obtain the same beneficial effect, so it should be noted that a detailed description is omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0156] FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of network-side equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 8, the network-side equipment (600) is,

[0157] A receiving module (601) configured to receive a path selection request transmitted from a terminal - the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node;

[0158] A transmission module (602) configured to transmit a response message to the terminal; wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of a first transmission performed by the terminal; or, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0159] Optionally, if the configuration information of all relay nodes of the candidate relay node does not satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0160] Optionally, if the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information, the above response message further includes direct path instruction information.

[0161] Optionally, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0162] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0163] The configuration information of the above candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the above first transmission.

[0164] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0165] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0166] Optionally, if the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information is,

[0167] Identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition at a relay node where configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or,

[0168] A list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission—the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay nodes, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list; is included.

[0169] Optionally, the configuration information of the above candidate relay node is,

[0170] Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the above candidate relay node;

[0171] Load information of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0172] Network slice selection auxiliary information (NSSAI) of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0173] Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0174] Information on the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session established by the above candidate relay node;

[0175] It includes at least one of the movement trajectory information of the above candidate relay node.

[0176] Optionally, the transmission parameters of the first transmission are,

[0177] Identifier of the first transmission above;

[0178] QoS required for the above first transmission;

[0179] NSSAI of the first transmission above;

[0180] SSC mode of the first transmission above;

[0181] It includes at least one of the data network name (DNN) of the first transmission above.

[0182] In the embodiment of the present invention, the network-side equipment (600) may be the network-side equipment of any embodiment of the method embodiment, and any embodiment of the network-side equipment in the method embodiment may be implemented by the network-side equipment (600) in the embodiment of the present invention and obtain the same beneficial effect, so it should be noted that a detailed description is omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0183] FIG. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram of a terminal for implementing each embodiment of the present invention, wherein the terminal (900) includes, but is not limited to, components such as a radio frequency device (901), a network module (902), an audio output device (903), an input device (904), a sensor (905), a display device (906), a user input device (907), an interface device (908), a memory (909), a processor (910), and a power supply (911). Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of the terminal shown in FIG. 9 does not constitute a limitation on the terminal, and that the terminal may include more or fewer components than shown in the drawing, combine specific components, or arrange other components. In embodiments of the present invention, the terminal includes, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet PC, a laptop, a personal information terminal, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a wearable terminal, and a pedometer.

[0184] Here, the radio frequency device (901) is,

[0185] A step of transmitting a path selection request to network-side equipment - the path selection request includes identification information of candidate relay nodes;

[0186] A step of receiving a response message transmitted from the above-mentioned network-side equipment;

[0187] The above response message is configured to implement the step of performing a first transmission using a target relay node when the above response message includes relay path instruction information, wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node or configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0188] Optionally, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0189] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0190] The configuration information of the above candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the above first transmission.

[0191] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0192] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0193] Optionally, if the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information is,

[0194] Identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition at a relay node where configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or,

[0195] A list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission—the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay nodes, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list; is included.

[0196] Optionally, the radio frequency device (901) is also,

[0197] If the above response message does not include the above relay path instruction information, the step of performing the first transmission using a direct path is configured to be implemented.

[0198] Optionally, the radio frequency device (901) is also,

[0199] If the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information but includes direct path instruction information, the step of performing the first transmission using the direct path is configured to be implemented.

[0200] Optionally, the configuration information of the above candidate relay node is,

[0201] Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the above candidate relay node;

[0202] Load information of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0203] Network slice selection auxiliary information (NSSAI) of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0204] Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0205] Information on the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session established by the above candidate relay node;

[0206] It includes at least one of the movement trajectory information of the above candidate relay node.

[0207] Optionally, the transmission parameters of the first transmission are,

[0208] Identifier of the first transmission above;

[0209] QoS required for the above first transmission;

[0210] NSSAI of the first transmission above;

[0211] SSC mode of the first transmission above;

[0212] It includes at least one of the data network name (DNN) of the first transmission above.

[0213] In an embodiment of the present invention, after discovering a candidate relay node, the terminal may transmit a path selection request to the network-side equipment, and after receiving the path selection request, the network-side equipment may feed back a response message to the terminal to assist the terminal in path selection. In this way, the path selected by the terminal with the assistance of the network-side equipment can better satisfy transmission requirements, i.e., service requirements, thereby improving the suitability of path selection.

[0214] In an embodiment of the present invention, the radio frequency device (901) may be configured to transmit and receive information or to transmit and receive signals in a call process, and in particular, it should be understood that it may be configured to transmit downlink data to a processor (910) for processing after receiving downlink data from a base station, and also to transmit uplink data to a base station. Generally, the radio frequency device (901) includes, but is not limited to, an antenna, at least one amplifier, a transceiver, a coupler, a low-noise amplifier, a duplexer, etc. Additionally, the radio frequency device (901) may communicate with a network and other devices through a wireless communication system.

[0215] The terminal provides wireless broadband internet access for the user, such as sending and receiving emails, browsing web pages, and accessing streaming media, through the network module (902).

[0216] The audio output device (903) can convert audio data received from the radio frequency device (901) or network module (902) or stored in memory (909) into an audio signal and output it as sound. Additionally, the audio output device (903) can also provide audio output related to specific functions performed by the terminal (900) (e.g., call signal reception sound, message reception sound, etc.). The audio output device (903) includes a speaker, a buzzer, a receiver, etc.

[0217] An input device (904) is used to receive audio or video signals. The input device (904) may include a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) (9041) and a microphone (9042), and the Graphics Processing Unit (9041) processes image data of a still image or video acquired by an image capture device (e.g., a camera) in video capture mode or image capture mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on a display device (906). The image frame processed by the Graphics Processing Unit (9041) may be stored in memory (909) (or other storage medium) or transmitted via a radio frequency device (901) or a network module (902). The microphone (9042) may receive sound and process such sound into audio data. The processed audio data may be converted into a format that can be transmitted to a mobile communication base station via the radio frequency device (901) in telephone call mode and output.

[0218] The terminal (900) also includes at least one sensor (905), such as a light sensor, a motion sensor, and other sensors. Specifically, the light sensor includes an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor, the ambient light sensor adjusts the brightness of the display panel (9061) according to the brightness of the ambient light, and the proximity sensor can turn off the display panel (9061) and the backlight when the terminal (900) moves toward the ear. An accelerometer sensor, which is a type of motion sensor, can detect the magnitude of acceleration in various directions (typically 3 axes) and can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity in a stationary state, and can be used for the terminal's posture identification (horizontal and vertical screen switching, related games, magnetometer posture correction), and vibration identification related functions (pedometer, tapping, etc.). The sensor (905) may also include a fingerprint sensor, a pressure sensor, an iris sensor, a molecular sensor, a gyroscope, a barometer, a hygrometer, a thermometer, an infrared sensor, etc., which are not described repeatedly here.

[0219] A display device (906) is used to display information entered by a user or information provided to a user. The display device (906) may include a display panel (9061), and the display panel (9061) may be configured in the form of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED), etc.

[0220] A user input device (907) can be used to receive input numeric or character information and to generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control of the terminal. Specifically, the user input device (907) includes a touch panel (9071) and other input devices (9072). The touch panel (9071) is also called a touch screen and can collect touch operations performed by a user on or near the touch panel (e.g., operations performed by a user on or near the touch panel (9071) using a suitable object or accessory such as a finger, stylus pen, etc.). The touch panel (9071) may include two parts, such as a touch detection device and a touch controller. The touch detection device detects the user's touch location and detects a signal corresponding to the touch operation and transmits the signal to the touch controller. The touch controller receives touch information from the touch detection device, converts it into contact coordinates, transmits them to the processor (910), receives the command transmitted by the processor (910), and executes the command. Additionally, the touch panel (9071) can be implemented in various types, such as resistive, capacitive, infrared, and surface acoustic waves. In addition to the touch panel (9071), the user input device (907) may also include other input devices (9072). Specifically, other input devices (9072) may include a physical keyboard, function keys (e.g., volume control buttons, switch buttons, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, and a joystick, which are not described repeatedly herein.

[0221] Additionally, the touch panel (9071) may be covered over the display panel (9071), and when the touch panel (9071) detects a touch action on or near it, it transmits it to the processor (910) to determine the type of the corresponding touch event, and then the processor (910) provides a visual output corresponding to the display panel (9061) according to the type of the touch event. In FIG. 9, the touch panel (9071) and the display panel (9061) are used as two independent components to implement the input and output functions of the terminal, but in some embodiments, the touch panel (9071) and the display panel (9061) may be integrated to implement the input and output functions of the terminal, and are not specifically limited thereto.

[0222] The interface device (908) is an interface for connecting an external device and a terminal (900). For example, the external device may include a wired or wireless headset port, an external power (or battery charger) port, a wired or wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting to a device having an identification module, an audio input / output (I / O) port, a video input / output (I / O) port, a headphone port, etc. The interface device (908) may be used to receive input (e.g., data information, power, etc.) from the external device, transmit the received input to one or more elements of the terminal (900), or perform data transmission between the terminal (900) and the external device.

[0223] The memory (909) can be used to store software programs and various data. The memory (909) may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store an operating system and an application program required for at least one function (e.g., sound playback function, image playback function, etc.), and the data storage area may store data generated during the use of the mobile phone (e.g., audio data, phone book, etc.). Additionally, the memory (909) may include a high-speed random access memory and may include at least one non-volatile memory device, such as a magnetic disk storage device or a flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage devices.

[0224] The processor (910) is the control center of the terminal and is connected to all components of the terminal through various interfaces and circuits. It performs various functions of the terminal and processes data by operating or executing software programs and modules stored in memory (909) and by calling data stored in memory (909), thereby performing overall monitoring of the terminal. The processor (910) may include at least one processing unit, and preferably, an application processor and a modem processor may be integrated into the processor (910). The application processor primarily handles operating systems, user interfaces, application programs, etc., while the modem processor primarily handles wireless communication. The modem processor may not be integrated into the processor (910).

[0225] The terminal (900) may additionally include a power source (911) (e.g., a battery) that supplies power to all components. Preferably, the power source (911) may be logically connected to the processor (910) through a power management system. In this way, the power management system is used to perform functions such as charging management, discharging management, and power consumption management.

[0226] Additionally, the terminal (900) includes some functional modules that are not shown, which are not described repeatedly here.

[0227] Preferably, an embodiment according to the present invention also provides a terminal comprising a processor (910), a memory (909), and a computer program stored in the memory (909) and executable on the processor (910), wherein each step of the path selection method embodiment is implemented when the computer program is executed by the processor (910) and the same technical effect can be achieved, so a detailed description is omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0228] It should be noted that in an embodiment of the present invention, the terminal (900) may be a terminal of any embodiment of the method embodiment, and any embodiment of the terminal in the method embodiment may be implemented by the terminal (900) in the embodiment of the present invention and obtain the same beneficial effect, so a detailed description is omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0229] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of network-side equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, network-side equipment (1000) includes a processor (1001), a transceiver (1002), a memory (1003), and a bus interface.

[0230] The above transceiver (1002) is,

[0231] A step of receiving a path selection request transmitted from a terminal - the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node;

[0232] The method is configured to implement the step of transmitting a response message to the terminal; wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes identification information of a target relay node or configuration information of a candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node in which the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of a first transmission performed by the terminal; or, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0233] Optionally, if the configuration information of all relay nodes of the candidate relay node does not satisfy the transmission parameters of the first transmission, the response message does not include the relay path instruction information.

[0234] Optionally, if the above response message does not include the relay path instruction information, the above response message further includes direct path instruction information.

[0235] Optionally, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0236] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0237] The configuration information of the above candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the above first transmission.

[0238] Optionally, the path selection request further includes transmission parameters of the first transmission, and

[0239] The above relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission.

[0240] Optionally, if the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information is,

[0241] Identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition at a relay node where configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or,

[0242] A list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission—the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay nodes, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list; is included.

[0243] Optionally, the configuration information of the above candidate relay node is,

[0244] Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the above candidate relay node;

[0245] Load information of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0246] Network slice selection auxiliary information (NSSAI) of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0247] Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the above candidate relay node belongs;

[0248] Information on the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session established by the above candidate relay node;

[0249] It includes at least one of the movement trajectory information of the above candidate relay node.

[0250] Optionally, the transmission parameters of the first transmission are,

[0251] Identifier of the first transmission above;

[0252] QoS required for the above first transmission;

[0253] NSSAI of the first transmission above;

[0254] SSC mode of the first transmission above;

[0255] It includes at least one of the data network name (DNN) of the first transmission above.

[0256] In an embodiment of the present invention, after discovering a candidate relay node, the terminal may transmit a path selection request to the network-side equipment, and after receiving the path selection request, the network-side equipment may feed back a response message to the terminal to assist the terminal in path selection. In this way, the path selected by the terminal with the assistance of the network-side equipment can better satisfy transmission requirements, i.e., service requirements, thereby improving the suitability of path selection.

[0257] In FIG. 10, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically, one or more processors represented by a processor (1001) and memory represented by a memory (1003) are connected to each other through various circuits. The bus architecture may also connect various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage stabilizers, power management circuits, etc. Since this is known in the art, a detailed description is omitted here. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver (1002) may be a plurality of components including a transmitter and a receiver, and provides a unit for communicating with various other equipment in a transmission medium. The user interface (1004) may be an interface capable of externally or internally connecting necessary devices depending on the terminal, and the connected devices include, but are not limited to, a mini keyboard, monitor, speaker, microphone, joystick, etc.

[0258] The processor (1001) manages the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory (1003) can store data used when the processor (1001) performs operations.

[0259] In an embodiment of the present invention, the network-side equipment (1000) may be any network-side equipment of any method embodiment of the present invention, and any method of the network-side equipment of the method embodiment of the present invention may be implemented by the network-side equipment (1000) in this embodiment and obtain the same beneficial effect, so a detailed description is omitted here to avoid repetition.

[0260] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, each step of the terminal or network-side embodiment is implemented and the same technical effect can be achieved; therefore, a detailed description is omitted here to avoid repetition. Here, the computer-readable storage medium may be a Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or a CD-ROM, etc.

[0261] In this specification, “comprising,” “having,” or other variations indicate non-exclusive inclusion, and a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements comprises not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements unique to such process, method, article, or device. Unless otherwise limited, an element defined as “comprising” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in a process, method, article, or device comprising said element.

[0262] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that while the method of the above embodiments may be implemented by combining software with a necessary general hardware platform or by hardware, in many cases, the method of combining software with a necessary general hardware platform is more preferable. Based on this understanding, an essential part of the technical solution of the present invention, a part contributing to the existing technology, or all or part of said technical solution may be implemented in the form of a software product, and said computer software product may be stored on a storage medium (e.g., ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) by including a plurality of instructions that enable a terminal (mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to perform the method according to a plurality of embodiments of the present invention.

[0263] The foregoing description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various equivalent modifications or substitutions to the present invention within the technical scope disclosed herein, and all such modifications or substitutions are included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for selecting a path applied to a terminal, comprising the steps of: transmitting a path selection request to a network-side device; wherein the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node and transmission parameters of a first transmission, and the transmission parameters of the first transmission include at least one of: an identifier of the first transmission; a QoS required for the first transmission; an NSSAI of the first transmission; an SSC mode of the first transmission; and a data network name (DNN) of the first transmission; receiving a response message transmitted from the network-side device; wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, and the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node; determining a target relay node based on the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission; and performing a first transmission using the target relay node. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, wherein the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, and the target relay node is a node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay node according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission; wherein the path selection request further includes the transmission parameters of the first transmission, and the configuration information of the candidate relay node is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the first transmission. Claim 3 A method according to claim 1, wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission; and when the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay node whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information comprises: identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition in a relay node whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or a list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list. Claim 4 The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of performing the first transmission using a direct path when the response message does not include the relay path instruction information; wherein the step of performing the first transmission using a direct path when the response message does not include the relay path instruction information comprises the step of performing the first transmission using a direct path when the response message does not include the relay path instruction information and includes the direct path instruction information. Claim 5 A method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information of the candidate relay node comprises at least one of: Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the candidate relay node; load information of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs; Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs; Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs; information on Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions established by the candidate relay node; and movement trajectory information of the candidate relay node. Claim 6 A path selection method applied to network-side equipment comprises the step of receiving a path selection request transmitted from a terminal, wherein the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node and transmission parameters of a first transmission, and the transmission parameters of the first transmission include at least one of: an identifier of the first transmission; QoS required for the first transmission; NSSAI of the first transmission; SSC mode of the first transmission; and a data network name (DNN) of the first transmission; and the step of transmitting a response message to the terminal, wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, the configuration information of the candidate relay node assists in determining a target relay node, and the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission performed by the terminal. Claim 7 In claim 6, the target relay node is a node selected by the terminal from the candidate relay nodes according to the configuration information of the candidate relay nodes and the transmission parameters of the first transmission; the method is characterized in that the configuration information of the candidate relay nodes is determined by the network-side equipment according to the transmission parameters of the first transmission. Claim 8 A method according to claim 6, wherein the relay path instruction information includes identification information of the target relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected from the candidate relay node by the network-side equipment according to the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission; and when the number of relay nodes in the candidate relay node whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission is greater than 1, the relay path instruction information comprises: identification information of a relay node satisfying a preset condition in a relay node whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the target relay node is a relay node satisfying the preset condition; or a list of identification information of relay nodes whose configuration information matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission - the order of the identification information list matches the configuration priority of the relay node, and the target relay node is a relay node selected by the terminal according to the order of the identification information list. Claim 9 A method according to claim 6, wherein the configuration information of the candidate relay node comprises at least one of: Quality of Service (QoS) information supported by the candidate relay node; load information of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs; Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs; Session and Service Continuity (SSC) mode of the network to which the candidate relay node belongs; information on Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions established by the candidate relay node; and movement trajectory information of the candidate relay node. Claim 10 A terminal comprising: a transmitting module configured to transmit a path selection request to a network-side device, wherein the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node and transmission parameters of a first transmission, and the transmission parameters of the first transmission include at least one of: an identifier of the first transmission; a QoS required for the first transmission; an NSSAI of the first transmission; an SSC mode of the first transmission; and a data network name (DNN) of the first transmission; a receiving module configured to receive an acknowledgment message transmitted from the network-side device; wherein the acknowledgment message includes relay path instruction information, and the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node; and a first path selection module configured to determine a target relay node based on the configuration information of the candidate relay node and the transmission parameters of the first transmission, and to perform the first transmission using the target relay node. Claim 11 Network-side equipment comprises: a receiving module configured to receive a path selection request transmitted from a terminal, wherein the path selection request includes identification information of a candidate relay node and transmission parameters of a first transmission, and the transmission parameters of the first transmission include at least one of: an identifier of the first transmission; a QoS required for the first transmission; an NSSAI of the first transmission; an SSC mode of the first transmission; and a data network name (DNN) of the first transmission; and a transmitting module configured to transmit a response message to the terminal, wherein the response message includes relay path instruction information, the relay path instruction information includes configuration information of the candidate relay node, the configuration information of the candidate relay node assists in determining a target relay node, and the configuration information of the candidate relay node matches the transmission parameters of the first transmission performed by the terminal. Claim 12 A terminal comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program that is stored in the memory and can be executed on the processor, wherein a path selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented when the computer program is executed by the processor. Claim 13 A network-side device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program that is stored in the memory and can be executed on the processor, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, a path selection method according to any one of claims 6 to 9 is implemented. Claim 14 A computer-readable storage medium, wherein a computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, a path selection method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented, or a path selection method according to any one of claims 6 to 9 is implemented. 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